Upcoming on CBS, 'Vegas' visits Sin City in the 1960s

HOLLYWOOD – The new early-1960s-set CBS drama “Vegas,” launching Sept. 25, will live or die by the chemistry within and between its lead characters, Ralph Lamb and Johnny Savino. One’s a longtime Nevada rancher and reluctant lawman. The other is a Chicago import with unsavory associates. They’ll battle for the soul of Las Vegas during an era when the notions that Las Vegas could have a soul and it might be up for grabs were not laughable.

CBS'Vegas.'

Dennis Quaid plays Lamb, who is a real person. Michael Chiklis plays Savino, a composite of any number of quote legitimate businessmen unquote.

“Both of them are outliers in their worlds,” said executive producer Greg Walker, previewing the new series at the Summer TV Tour on Sunday (July 29). “So they don’t fall into tropes easily. I think in the character who’s a cliche, their wants are very simple, and these guys’ wants are very complicated, and their desires to transform Vegas and how they run head-to-head and sometimes actually see the same thing make them unique characters.

“Lamb is trying to preserve what he believes the values of the Old West are in this area while not being against progress, per se. And Vincent Savino is trying to change the culture of Vegas as well, not necessarily as a mobster, but also as a man who has a quest for legitimacy. They often find themselves on the same side of the law -- or not often, but often enough -- because there are worse people out there that are coming into vogue. So in order to kind of preserve this delicate balance, both of them move. It’s a shifting target. So they are not always against each other. We certainly don’t want Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner every week. We found enough tension so far to keep them going after each other.”

Dave Walker can be reached at dwalker@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3429. Read more TV coverage at NOLA.com/tv. Follow him at twitter.com/davewalkertp.